Advertising device.



PATENTED APR. 9, 1907. C. M. OBRIEN.

ADVERTISING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 18. 1906.

2 SHEETS-SHBET 1.

` PATENTED APR. 9, 1907. C. M. OBRIEN. 4 ADVERTISING DEVICE. APPLIUATIONFILED APR.1e.19o.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Y M@ @famfjlfm @g/WML@ CHARLES M. CBRIEN, or CHICAGO, ILLIIvoIs.

, ADVERTISING DEVICE.

ANo. 849,493.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 9, 1907.

Application filed April 16,1906. Serial No. 311,861.

To a/ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES M. OBRIEN, a resident of Chicago, in thecounty of Cook and State of Iliinois, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Advertising Devices, of which the following is afull, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to Certain new and useful improvements inadvertising devices, and more particularly to improvements inadvertising devices wherein a pluralityr of advertising-signs arecontained only part of which are exposed to view at one time, but all ofwhich are propelled onward. by an endless conveyer, so as to be broughtinto view during a portion of their passage through the device.

The object of my invention is to produce an improved advertising deviceof this class by cheapening the cost thereof, by simplifyinO theconstruction, and by improving its efiectiveness in other ways.

Another object is to provide means whereby the signs may be readilydetached from the conveyer.

To such end the invention consists in certain novel features ofconstruction, a description of which will be round in the followingspecification and the essential features thereof more definitely pointedout in the claims.

The invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings, inwhich- Figure 1 is a front view of an advertising device embodying myinvention. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section taken in the line 2 2 ofFig. 1. Fig. 3 is a fragmental plan view illustrating certain gearing.Fig. L1 is a front view of one of the sign-frames. Fig. 5 is a frontview of the main frame with the endless conveyer, the sign-frames, andcertain other parts removed. Fig. 6 is a detail vertical cross-sectiontaken in the line 6 6 of Fig. 1. Fig. 7 is a detail horizontal sectionillustrating the connection between the conveyer and the sign-frames.Figs. S and 9 are similar views illustrating the manner of shifting thesigns from front to back, or vice versa; and Fig. 10 is a fragmentalperspective view of the endless conveyer.

In these views, 1 is a rectangular supporting-frame comprising upper andlower longitudinal members 10 and end members 11, all of which areconnected together to form a strong and substantial frame. These members10 and 11 are made quite narrow, inasmuch as it is theintention to putthese devices in places where no great depth of iframe is permissible,although their use is in no way limited to conditions of this kind.Within this -frame are supported two struts 12 13, whose width isconsiderably less than that of the members 1() 11, and said struts areconnected by a Iongitudinally-extending bar 14, which serves to supportthe convcyer-guides, besides acting as a brace and sti'll'ening memberfor the frame 1. Guide-strips 15 are secured to the sides of the struts12 1B and bar 111 and extend to points slightly beyond the struts, asclearly seen in Fig. 5. Below and in front or the guide-strips 15 arestrips 16, which, together with the guident-rips 15, form guides for theendless conveyer.

The signs are made up of sign-plates 21, supported in signframes 2, thelatter being preferably rectangular in form and provided on each endwith a connecting device 22, which is preferably in the form of a yokeor staple, as shown. The ends of the frame are beveled oil, as shown,the purpose of which will appear later on in the course of thisspecification. The upper and lower edges of the sign-frames are guidedin guideways which are provided upon the inner faces of the longitudinalmembers 10 of the frame 1. Said guideways are formed by central strips17, secured to the longitudinal members of the frame 1 and extendingbetween the struts 12 13, and strips 18, secured to the longitudinalmembers outside of the central strips, the space between the strips 17and 1S being wide enough to receive the sign-frames 2. These guidewaysextend through the greater portion of the length of the frame 1. and ateach end merge into a single guideway in which the signs can be shiltedfrom one main guideway`to the other. One of these guideways is at thefront of the frame 1 and the other at the rear thereof', and the ones onthe lower member 1() are duplicated upon the upper member 10. As shownin Fig. 2, one end of each strip 18 is continued to the end of the frameby a tapered strip 19, which deilects the course of the signs beyond theendless conveyer. Opposite each strip 19 is an arm 3, pivoted to theframe and pressed toward the center thereof by a spring 31, a stop 82being provided to limit such movement in one direction. Springs 33 aresecured upon the end portions 11 oi the fra-Ine and are engaged by thesigns as they are shifted from one guideway to another. The springs 33and spring-arms 3 yieldingly hold the signs IOO IIO

Y in engagement with the conveyer they are `gages the adjacentframew-that is, the one in being other.

A roller 4, j ournaled in the frame 1, and a roller 5, journaled in alongitudinally-movable head 51, carry the endless belt 6, and the roller4 is rotated by a motor 41, which shifted from one main guideway to themay be of any of the well-known forms cai pable of advancing the signsthrough the device. Gearing is interposed between the motor and theroller 4, and, as shown, said gearing consists of a worm 42, upon themotor-shaft, a gear 43 in mesh with said worm I and fast upon a shaft44, a worm 45 upon the opposite end of said shaft, and a gear 46, fastupon the shaft of the roller 4.

The roller 5 is spring-pressed and adjustable longitudinally of theframe, whereby any slack in the endless conveyer may be taken up and thelatter kept taut. As shown, the head 51, which carries the roller 5, ismounted upon two rods 52, which pass through and are guided in the strut13 and are encircled by springs 53, which abut against stops 54 upon therods, and blocks 55, slidably connected to the bar 14. The blocks 55have secured to them slotted plates 56, through the slots of whichextend screws 57.4 By loosening the screws the blocks 55 may be adjustedalong the bar 14 to regulate the amount of tension of the springs 53.

The endless conveyer 6 is shown in the form of a belt, although thisconstruction is not material to my invention, broadly speaking, and saidbelt carries a number of laterally-projecting pins 61, which engage withand draw the signs along the guideways. The length of these pins is suchthat when a l pin passes yaroundeither one of the rollers it will bewithdrawn from engagement with the sign-frame and the latter whollydisconnected therefrom. This permits the pin to continue its coursearound the roller. Upon becoming detached from the sign-frame to whichis was connected it immediately enadvance of the frame from which it wasdetached-and propels the new frame to the opposite end of the device.

In the operation of my device the advertising cards or signs are securedin the signframes and the latter placed in the guideways of the deviceand hooked upon the pins of the endless conveyer. As shown in Fig. 2,one end of the rear guide-strips 18 is cut away, so that the sign-framesmay be slid into the device through the opening thus formed. Should itbecome necessary to remove or replace any one of the signs, it may bedetached from the pin on the conveyer while it is at the shifting-pointand then be slid along after the one preceding it until the rear endthereof passes the arm 3, whereupon it may be slid out through theopening and another frame substituted for the one removed. If now themotor be started, the roller 4 will be rotated, the endless conveyeradvanced, and the signs propelled through their circuit through thedevice. The pins 61 remain in engagement with the yokes 22 of thesign-frames during their passage through the straight portions of 'theguideways, and as each pin begins its movement around either roller itis graduallywithdrawn from the yoke until the sign-frame is whollydisconnected therefrom and left standing in the guideway. This is onlyfor an instant, however, as the pin which follows the one that has beendetached from its sign and which is propelling the sign-frame followingthe one left standing strikes the yoke on the other end of the frame andpushes it beyond the roller and into the space between the strip 19 andarm 3. At this point the two guideways are merged into one, so that thesigns may be shifted from one main guideway to the other. Each pin,therefore, pulls or propels its frame from roller to roller when it letsgo, and the following pin pushes the sign beyond the roller and intothat portion of the guiding-circuit where the two main guideways areunited. Vhen a sign reaches the position where it is to be shifted fromone side of the conveyer to the other, the end nearest the conveyerslides toward the roller on account of the beveled edges of thesignframes, which brings the yoke into a position insuring theengagement of the pin with the yoke. The pin upon being withdrawn fromits yoke still remains in engagement with the frame in advance of it,and then the further movement of the pin draws this sign out of the pathof the one following it and carries it around with the pin, the spring33 and spring-arm 3 holding it against the conveyer, so that the pinwill eventually enter the yoke and draw the frame into the rearguideway. The sign is then drawn through the rear guideway to the otherroller, where it is again shifted to the front guideway and its coursecontinued as before. The signs are thus propelled through the two mainguideways and shifted from the front one to the rear one and back againwithout reversing the signs, and the use of a very thin supporting-frameis thus made possible. If desired, the advertisements may be placed uponboth sides of the sign-frames, and in this way the capacity of thedevice will be doubled and the advertisements made visible from bothsides of the device. However, if but one side of the signs are to beused, the back of the device may be covered up, if desired, and. thefront inclosed by a glass plate; but these features form no part of myinvention.

I realize that various alterations and modifications of the parts arepossible, and I do not, therefore, desire to limit myself to their exactconstruction shown and described eX- I IOO IOS

IIO

cept so far as required on the scope of the following claims.

I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. In anadvertising device, the combination with a suitably-operated endlessconveyer, of a plurality of signs guided to move in a circuit around theendless conveyor', and connecting devices between the conveyer and signseach of which is constructed and arranged to become detached vfrom thesign to which it is connected, and to piel: up the sign in advancethereof at the turning-points of the conveyer.

2. In an advertising device, the combination with a plurality ofslidably-supported signs, of an endless conveyer constructed andarranged to propel said signs through a circuit, part of which is behindthe other and parts of which extend beyond the conveyer, said conveyerhaving means for engagement with the signs, which means areautomatically disengaged from the signs when the latter reach that partof the circuit which extends beyond the conveyer.

3. In an advertising device, the combination with a plurality of signs,of an endless conveyer arranged to propel said signs through a circuit,part of which extends behind `the other and parts of which extend beyondthe conveyer, sign-engagement devices upon the conveyer each of which isadapted to be withdrawn from the sign with which it is in engagement andto be brought into en- 0'agement with the sign in advance thereof toshift the latter sign from one part of the circuit to the other.

4. In an advertising device, the combination with a pluralityT ofslidably-supported signs, of rollers, an endless conveyor carried bysaid rollers, a guideway on either side of the conveyer each of whichguideways merge into a single guideway beyond the conveyor and devicesupon the conveyor arranged to propel said signs through the circuitformed by the guideways without reversing the signs, each connectingdevice being arranged to let go of its sign and pick up the one inadvance thereof while passing around the rollers.

5. In an advertising device, the combination with a plurality of signsand a guidingcircuit therefor, one part of which is in back of the otherpart, of a suitably-operated endless eonveyer adapted to propel thesigns through the circuit, means of connection between the conveyer andsigns, each of which is arranged to become detached Vfrom its sign atthe point where the sign is shifted from one guideway to the other andto engage with the sign in advance thereof.

6. In an advertising device, the combination with a plurality of signs,a guiding-circuit therefor containing two straight portions -one ofwhich is behind the other, of a l l i l i l l l, l l l suitably operatedendless conveyer, signengaging devices upon the conveyer, which areadapted to engage with the signs to propel them through the straightportions of the guiding-circuit and each of which is adapted to bedetached from the sign which it propels through the straight portions ofthe guidingcircuit, and to be' brought into engagement with the sign inadvance thereof at the points where the signs are shifted.

7. In an advertising device, the combination with a suitably-operatedendless conveyer, of a guiding-circuit surrounding said conveyer, aplurality'of signs slidably mounted in said circuit, pins upon theconveyer detachably connected with the signs, and arranged to becomedetached from one sign and connected to the preceding sign at the endsof the circuit.

S. In an advertising device, the combination with a suitably-operatedendless conveyer, of a guideway surrounding the conveyer, a plurality ofsigns, detachable connections between the conveyor and signs constructedand arranged to release each sign from the conveyer at the extremitiesof the guideway and to engage the preceding sign, and a tension device`for the conveyer.

9. In an advertising device, the combination with a suitably-operatedendless conveyer, of a guiding-circuit extending around said conveyor',the extremities of which extend beyond the conveyer, signs sliding inthe guiding-circuit, detachable connections between the conveyor andsigns constructed and arranged to release each sign from the conveyer atthe extremities of the guideway and to engage the preceding sign, andsprings in the extremities of the guigleways adapted to yieldingly holdthe signs in engagement with the conveyor while the signs are beingshifted.

10. In an advertising device, the combination with a suitably-operatedendless conveyor having laterally-projecting pins, of front and rearguideways which merge into single guidsways beyond the conveyer, signshaving means of enga-gement with the pins, said pins being adapted todraw the signs through the Vfront and rear guideways and each pin beingarranged to be withdrawn from its sign and brought into engagement withthe sign in advance thereof in shifting the sign from 'front to back, orvice versa, and springs in the guideways adapted to yieldingly hold thesigns in engagement with the conveyer while said signs are beingshifted.

11. In an advertising device, the combination with a plurality of signs,of a guidingcircuit therefor constructed and arranged to guide saidsigns against reversal, one part of said circuit being in back of theother part, a suitably-opcrated conveyor' constructed and arranged topropel said signs through said ICO circuit and Constructed and arrangedto reedges thereof, and detachable connections lease eaoh sign andengage the one 1n adbetween the slgns and oonveyer whereby the vanoethereof 1n shifting the signs from front oonveyer may impart areclprocatory Inoveto back or vioe versa. ment to the signs in theguiding-oirouit With- 5 l2. In an advertising device7 the oornbinaoutreversal of the signs.

tion with a plurality of suitably-guided and supported signs, arrangedin a closed circuit, CHARLES M' O BRIEN of a suitably-operated endlessoonveyer ar- Vitnesses:

ranged to move in a circuit within the circuit CHARLES O. SHERVEY,

Io ofthe signsand between the upper and lower WILLIAM P. BOND.

